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Darjeeling Walk
Lots of stalls to browse in whilst you walk. At least there is no hard sell here.On Monday morning I left the hotel at 7.30am, three hours before my scheduled flight to Bagdogra. Hotel Victerrace was only 17klm from the airport but the taxi ride took almost 45 minutes, which I had anticipated. I would prefer to sit at the airport, rather than the hotel, at least then I know I'm not running late. The taxi fare was 400 rupees ($7.30) compared to the 750 rupees ($13.70) quoted by the hotel for the use of their vehicle and driver.
Kolkata Airport has a brand new terminal which was opened earlier this year. It's a huge open space devoid of any decoration to soften it's clinical features. There are snack kiosks but no table settings to eat from, and the usual array of expensive stores for last minute shopping.
I was the only foreigner on the flight, the rest of the passengers were local tourists. The plane, when it landed at Bagdogra airport, was the only one on the tarmac. Bagdogra is the closest airport to Darjeeling, but is still around three hours drive away from Darjeeling itself. I had several choices to get the rest of the way - I could catch a taxi or
Darjeeling Walk
It's lovely to see lots of greenery. bus to Siliguri and from there secure a seat in a jeep (4 wheel drive) and share an uncomfortable journey squashed in with nine other passengers. This was definately the cheapest option but held no appeal. Or I could lash out and secure a private taxi. I enquired at the pre-paid taxi stand in the airport, they quoted 1750 rupees ($32) for the trip. I then walked outside the terminal and secured a ride for 800 rupees ($14.60) from one of the many taxi drivers who approached me when I left the terminal.
Surrounded by tea plantations and backed by a splendid Himalayan panorama, Darjeeling is rightly West Bengal’s premier drawcard. When you aren’t gazing at Mount Khangchendzonga, the 3rd highest peak in the world, you can explore colonial mansions and churches, Buddhist and Hindu temples, botanical gardens and a zoo for Himalayan fauna. The steep narrow streets are crowded with colourful souvenir and handicraft shops, and a good steaming brew and excellent Indian and Tibetan fare are never far away. For the adventurous there are superb treks which trace ancient trade routes and provide magnificent viewpoints.
We wasted no time in getting on the road and reached
Mountains & Mists
You've got to be quick to see a view without mist or clouds. Darjeeling 2.5 hours later. The road was scary, it climbed steadily the entire way and was barely wide enough for two vehicles. Worst of all was the lack of guard rails, there was no space to put them. Swerve too far and you were over the edge. The scenery was awe inspiring, misty mountain views and tea plantations as far as the eye could see. My driver dropped me in the town centre, gestured up a road to where my accomodation hopefully was, jumped in his car and disappeared back the way we came.
The Snow Lion Homestay is run by a Tibetian family. A very homely place with far too many pictures on the walls, rugs on the floors and ornaments on every surface. I have a spacious room with a king size bed but it overlooks the road and the noise level, during the day, is horrendous. It's the constant beeping of car horns which is hard to put up with. I'm booked in here for three nights.
I dumped my bags and set out on a walk. The mist had set in, the mountain views had all but disappeared, and the temperature had dropped dramatically.
Hungry Locals
Feasting on stolen corn. A nice change from the heat and humidity I've lived in over the past monthS. It's cool enough to encourage me to purchase a sweater from one of the many shops lining the streets here. As I had hardly eaten all day, I had missed breakfast and lunch, I looked for a good restaurant to have an early dinner in. I ended up at Shangra-la, where I enjoyed a nice meal, then headed back to my room.
Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. I became sick during the night and spent the next 36 hours in bed. I ate toast and tea for breakfast the next morning (Tuesday) then went straight back to bed, where I stayed for the entire day, cursing the beeping drivers on the street outside. I ventured out late in the afternoon for water and plain biscuits so I would have something to eat when I made a cup of tea. I couldn't face dinner and just wanted to get back under the doona.
On Wednesday morning I woke feeling much better but wasn't planning on having a busy day. I needed to get out of my room so decided on a walk
Central School for Tibetians
A great lookout here but the view was completely white. with no real aim in mind. I got a brochure from the Tourist Office which listed attractions, and as the Himalayan Zoological Park was in the direction I was heading, I decided there was as good a place as any. Admittance cost 50 rupees, the zoo was clean and well laid out with decent sized, shrubbery filled enclosures for the animals.
Darjeeling zoo is internationally famous for its conservation breeding programmes of the red panda and snow leopard, and is the only one of its kind in India. You can also see many other animals including Siberian Tigers, bears, wolves and Himalayan birds. I must admit the snow leopard and red pandas were the main attraction for me and I wasn't disappointed. The red pandas are the size of a cat and have the cutest faces and long bushy tails.
My admission ticket also got me into the Himalayam Mountaineering Institute which was started in 1954, as a result of the success of Tenzin Norgay’s ascent of Everest with Edmund Hilary in 1953. It has two museums – mountaineering and Everest - as well as a training department that runs courses in mountaineering.
Thursday morning I'm up
Darjeeling Shops
There's no shortage of places to spend your money. and out early after been drawn out of bed by the approaching sound of a drum beat in the street below. There's a lone monk, dressed in white and orange robes, moving quickly through the streets as he rhythmically beat a stick against a flat instrument resembling a fan. I saw him again a few hours later, he was still banging his instrument, as he walked up the road towards the Peace Pagoda.
I decided to head out on an early morning walk, pass the shuttered shops and up to the square. I was hoping for a clear view of the mountains but no such luck. The world was enveloped in white and I had to be content with taking photos of pigeons instead. Not a lot to see so I headed back up Ghandi Road planning on returning to my room.
I met the proprietor of the Snow Lion at the front door and he told me the Peace Pagoda was further up the road. Not a long walk, he assured me, so I decided to keep on going. Well, it was a long walk and uphill all the way, and took me 45 minutes to reach.
Darjeeling Zoological Park
This bear was munching on a carrot. It was a tough walk even in the cool morning air. The tall trees were shrouded in mist and it reminded me of winter and the Bunya Mountains at home.
The building of the Peace Pagoda was intiated by Fuji Guru, a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, as a symbol for world peace. Embedded in the walls of the sparkling white pagoda are four statues of Buddha in gold polish and eight carvings on sandstone depicting different stages of Gautam Buddha’s life. A peaceful place to visit so early in the morning, as no one else was there.
Darjeeling is, of course, famous for it's tea and no visit to the region would be complete without visiting an estate. The closest tea estate is Happy Valley, established since 1854, where they give free tours of their working factory. The 100 hectare estate is located at an altitude of more than 2000 metres, and is one of the highest altitude tea plantations in the world. The last kilometre of road to reach the estate is the worst I've experienced yet. I actually feared for my safety, and was considering getting out of the vehicle, when the driver started backing
Darjeeling Zoological Park
These are so cute and gorgeous, I'd love to take one home. No bigger than a cat they are the red panda. up to allow another car to pass. Looking back, I could see a sheer drop about three metres behind us, a row of rocks the only barrier. But, the cars managed to pass without incident and I was dropped outside the estate, my heart racing.
I found the short tour quite interesting. Happy Valley teas are not produced for the local market, and Harrods of London are one of their main buyers. They sell to visitors from their 'boutique shop' which was simply a couple of shelves in a room we passed through during the tour. No big money spinning tourist operation here which was nice to see. I bought some tea to take home.
I had an early dinner at Glenary's Restaurant, above their bakery, where I had indulged in bacon and eggs for breakfast earlier in the day. I enjoyed my meal, in the lovely old colonial surroundings, with foggy mountain views. I browsed in the shops afterwards, bought a couple of things I needed from the chemist and returned to my room. Even though it was barely 7.30pm, shops had started to close, and the fog was setting in. Looks like another early night.
Darjeeling Zoological Park
The snow leopard, a paler cousin to the one we all know and recognise. Friday morning is foggy and wet. Not a chance of seeing a mountain view today, or much of anything else. I decide the time has come for me to leave Darjeeling and I spent my day organizing my Inner Line Permit which is needed to enter Sikkim, and securing two seats in a shared jeep, one for me and one for my backpack and a little elbow room, leaving tomorrow morning at 8.00am.
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